**Official** Australia in Sri Lanka Jan - Feb 2025

[TheJediBrah]

Sri Lanka has a good pace attack so counter productive for them to prepare dust bowls

Not sure if this was a joke but if you're serious, I think they still probably would. They've had some pretty decent success against much stronger Australian sides on dustbowls in the past.

If I were charged with giving SL the best chance of winning though I wouldn't go overboard as it risks a Pune 2017 situation where it's a lottery that just nullifies the home advantage, like a greentop would for a SENA team. I would make a pitch with turn but still quite flat, and most importantly as slow and low as possible.

 

[social]

Not sure if this was a joke but if you're serious, I think they still probably would. They've had some pretty decent success against much stronger Australian sides on dustbowls in the past.

If I were charged with giving SL the best chance of winning though I wouldn't go overboard as it risks a Pune 2017 situation where it's a lottery that just nullifies the home advantage, like a greentop would for a SENA team. I would make a pitch with turn but still quite flat, and most importantly as slow and low as possible.

They actually do have a decent pace attack

 

[Shady Slim]

Agree with the first point, but do you really need 3 specialist spinners? Surely 2 specialist spinners + a part timer like Head would be sufficient. I feel like the diminishing returns with a 3rd spinner gives you less benefit than just playing another batsman or all-rounder

well lyon and murphy are the best and second best spinners in the country to my mind by a wide margin, and kuhn is the best who turns it the other way, which is where he factors in for me

edit: developing on this further, usual makeup of an australian bowling attack is three pacers + one spinner + pace allrounder + parttime spinner(s). don't see why going to sri lanka, there is any reason not to go four bowlers plus pace allrounder - and to my mind given the likely conditions, i think that going in with three spinners one pacer one pace allrounder is better for the job than two spinners two pacers and the pace allrounder

 

[Gob]

Not sure if this was a joke but if you're serious, I think they still probably would. They've had some pretty decent success against much stronger Australian sides on dustbowls in the past.

If I were charged with giving SL the best chance of winning though I wouldn't go overboard as it risks a Pune 2017 situation where it's a lottery that just nullifies the home advantage, like a greentop would for a SENA team. I would make a pitch with turn but still quite flat, and most importantly as slow and low as possible.

Hope you don't mean the 2016 lot

 

[TheJediBrah]

well lyon and murphy are the best and second best spinners in the country to my mind by a wide margin, and kuhn is the best who turns it the other way, which is where he factors in for me

edit: developing on this further, usual makeup of an australian bowling attack is three pacers + one spinner + pace allrounder + parttime spinner(s). don't see why going to sri lanka, there is any reason not to go four bowlers plus pace allrounder - and to my mind given the likely conditions, i think that going in with three spinners one pacer one pace allrounder is better for the job than two spinners two pacers and the pace allrounder

Spinners aren't the same as pacers. They can bowl more overs. A 3rd spinner is not the same benefit a 3rd pacer would be.

Also I'm not suggesting replacing the 3rd spinner with a 2nd pacer, but with a batting option

 

[Shady Slim]

Spinners aren't the same as pacers. They can bowl more overs. A 3rd spinner is not the same benefit a 3rd pacer would be.

Also I'm not suggesting replacing the 3rd spinner with a 2nd pacer, but with a batting option

yeah but for variety's sake, two spinners who turn it the same way and a part timer i think doesn't do enough. sometimes you have to change the bowler just to give the batters a different angle or pace or style to think about, even if you're bowling a worse bowler (which is why kohli riding siraj and prasidh into the dirt was absolutely outrageous); and to my mind in sl the best fit there is a genuine spinner who spins it the way lyon and murphy don't

i think the returns on that are better than an extra bat too, especially when that extra bat is likely to be peter handscomb not mahela jayawardene

 

[Burgey]

They should pick Chris Green to stand there and chuck them down all day. He can bat a bit, and no one in SL has the standing to bat an eyelid at an action that diabolical

 

[Spark]

You absolutely need an SLA in SL conditions IMO. Even if they aren't especially good, if they're reasonably quick and reasonably accurate the ball randomly deciding not to turn is just too lethal a weapon to pass up.

 

[TheJediBrah]

yeah but for variety's sake, two spinners who turn it the same way and a part timer i think doesn't do enough. sometimes you have to change the bowler just to give the batters a different angle or pace or style to think about, even if you're bowling a worse bowler (which is why kohli riding siraj and prasidh into the dirt was absolutely outrageous); and to my mind in sl the best fit there is a genuine spinner who spins it the way lyon and murphy don't

i think the returns on that are better than an extra bat too, especially when that extra bat is likely to be peter handscomb not mahela jayawardene

Then pick Kuhnemann if that's the idea. You don't need 3 specialist spinners. In that scenario Murphy is superfluous.

 

[Shady Slim]

Then pick Kuhnemann if that's the idea. You don't need 3 specialist spinners. In that scenario Murphy is superfluous.

but he's not superfluous brother, like open your mind's eye - batsmen get on top of bowlers, bowlers can have off days, each of the three brings something unique to the table. if cummins and starc could bowl all day long, you would still want bolo or haze in your team over another bat right? it's not as if murphy and lyon are identical bowlers. i think you're overthinking this. three frontliners who all bring something different to the table, adapted to the conditions.

 

[Gob]

You absolutely need an SLA in SL conditions IMO. Even if they aren't especially good, if they're reasonably quick and reasonably accurate the ball randomly deciding not to turn is just too lethal a weapon to pass up.

Yes

 

[TheJediBrah]

but he's not superfluous brother, like open your mind's eye - batsmen get on top of bowlers, bowlers can have off days, each of the three brings something unique to the table. if cummins and starc could bowl all day long, you would still want bolo or haze in your team over another bat right? it's not as if murphy and lyon are identical bowlers. i think you're overthinking this. three frontliners who all bring something different to the table, adapted to the conditions.

No you're definitely wrong. 3 spinners works for India when 2 of them can bat well. If Sri Lanka or Bangladesh do it at least one of them is an all rounder as well. 3 specialist spinners that can't bat is dumb

 

[Qlder]

So SL just beat NZ 2-0 in September and they played 2 pacers and 2 spinners. In the 2 tests SL bowled 250 overs of spin and 34 overs of pace.

Seems like Starc & Webster bowling pace will be enough

 

[Gob]

Khawaja
Head
Marnus
Smith
Handscomb
Maxwell
Carey
Murphy
Lyon
Kuhnemann
Rocchiccioli

Only way aust can miss out on wtc final is an over rate penalty so why take any chance?

 

[Qlder]

Neser is back bowling in the BBL. With Cummins and Hazlewood out get Neser back in there (as much for his batting)

1. Khawaja
2. Konstas
3. Labuschagne
4. Smith
5. Head
6. Webster
7. Carey
8. Neser
9. Starc
10. Murphy
11. Lyon

 

[Spark]

Neser is back bowling in the BBL. With Cummins and Hazlewood out get Neser back in there

1. Khawaja
2. Konstas
3. Labuschagne
4. Smith
5. Head
6. Webster
7. Carey
8. Neser
9. Starc
10. Murphy
11. Lyon

...as a specialist #8?

 

[Prince EWS]

Newer would provide extra batting even if he's not bowling much which is a plus I guess.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Nah pointless. Already have Webster to bowl seam up. Better off picking Maxwell, or Handscomb or McSweeney rather than Neser who will bowl like 3 overs if that

 

[Gob]

Neser is back bowling in the BBL. With Cummins and Hazlewood out get Neser back in there (as much for his batting)

1. Khawaja
2. Konstas
3. Labuschagne
4. Smith
5. Head
6. Webster
7. Carey
8. Neser
9. Starc
10. Murphy
11. Lyon

Head starting up against spin is a big no no for me. Now I think about it, all of Head's clutch knocks have come against pace in seamer friendly conditions so we don't know yet whether he has it in him to play the kind of innings he has been playing against quality spin. Honestly Head opening with Handscomb/Inglis in the middle will likely yield more runs as opposed to Konstas at the top andHead at #5

 

[TheJediBrah]

I agree. Head has to open. Our selectors will **** that up though with their patented incumbency bias guaranteed